Conservation: Story

Gardners Selected as "Conservationist of the Year" Finalists

Bogart, Georgia - Each year, Budweiser Outdoors, partnering with the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), awards $65,000 through its Conservationist of the Year program. From nominations submitted by conservation partners, Budweiser chooses four finalists. QDMA's nomination, a husband/wife team of QDMA volunteers: Guy Gardner, president of QDMA's Cape Fear River Branch of North Carolina, and his wife Judy Gardner, president of the North Carolina State Chapter of QDMA, find themselves among the finalists.

With a list of awards from QDMA that speaks for itself, Guy and Judy have led their Branch and State Chapter through an astounding number of accomplishments in the name of wildlife conservation, youth hunter education and recruitment, and QDM promotion.

Some of their most significant contributions include establishing "QDM for Kids," a mentored woodsmanship program that promotes stewardship and the continuation of the hunting heritage; organizing countless educational seminars that provide hundreds of hours of educational opportunities and reach thousands of kids and adults each year; teaching official North Carolina Hunter Education Courses; organizing hunts for youth, wounded soldiers, and the handicapped; and implementing wildlife habitat improvement initiatives.

Under the leadership of the Gardners, the Cape Fear River Branch is always a top performer in the QDMA Branch network, which boasts over 180 Branches across the United States and Canada. At the 2009 QDMA National Convention, the Branch received three national awards, including Educational Branch of the Year-for the third consecutive year-Branch Event of the Year, and Branch Volunteer of the Year, an award presented to Brian Padgett, a devoted Branch officer.

Online voting by the public will determine the ultimate Conservationist-or pair of conservationists in the case of the Gardners-who will be rewarded $50,000 to distribute to the conservation group of their choice. To read about the nominees and cast your vote, visit www.budweiser.com (must be 21 to enter site). All votes must be submitted by December 15. The winner will be announced at the annual Outdoor Channel Golden Moose Awards held in Las Vegas on January 21, 2010, during the SHOT Show.

About QDMA

Founded in 1988, QDMA is a national nonprofit wildlife conservation organization with more than 50,000 members in all 50 states and Canada, and several foreign countries. Membership in QDMA is open to anyone interested in better deer and better deer hunting, and committed to ethical hunting, sound deer management and the preservation of the deer-hunting heritage. To learn more about QDMA and why it is the future of deer hunting, call (800) 209-3337 or visit www.QDMA.com